China vs United States: Merchandise imports
Merchandise imports over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 3.51 trillion current US$ against 2.58 trillion current US$ in China, a difference of 923.65 billion current US$.
That makes United States's figure about 1.4 times China's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 206 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.98 billion current US$ | 24.24 billion current US$ | 22.26 billion current US$ | United States |
| 1970s | 6.87 billion current US$ | 114.07 billion current US$ | 107.20 billion current US$ | United States |
| 1980s | 35.28 billion current US$ | 351.31 billion current US$ | 316.03 billion current US$ | United States |
| 1990s | 113.65 billion current US$ | 736.76 billion current US$ | 623.11 billion current US$ | United States |
| 2000s | 628.38 billion current US$ | 1.59 trillion current US$ | 962.96 billion current US$ | United States |
| 2010s | 1.82 trillion current US$ | 2.35 trillion current US$ | 527.62 billion current US$ | United States |
| 2020s | 2.53 trillion current US$ | 3.12 trillion current US$ | 595.35 billion current US$ | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher merchandise imports, China or United States?
- United States, at 3.51 trillion current US$ against 2.58 trillion current US$ in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in merchandise imports between China and United States?
- 923.65 billion current US$, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for merchandise imports?
- China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 206 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Trade Organization (WTO), published as Merchandise imports (current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Merchandise imports includes goods whose economic ownership is changed from a non-resident to a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.